This comes from the ‘spinoff’ and ‘spillover’ effects, where ambitious projects fuel technological developments that spread into other uses and industries. Our very phones depend on it.īrown also points to estimates that the Apollo missions had an impressive return on investment – as much as $17 for every $1 spent. It’s not like Formula 1 racing, he says, which the world can do without. Beyond the hype and PR stunts, these are three of the shrewdest business people in the world.” “But space is so essential – you can’t afford to view it as a luxury at all. They ask: why are you doing this when there are problems to solve on Earth?Ĭue the new space race! A succession of billionaires are launching themselves into space in a new competition that raises the same questions: is this just a flagrant waste of money, or a vanguard move? “But I think it comes from those people who view space as a luxury or a frivolity, not as something that’s essential. Rich people subsidised it until it became ubiquitous enough to be accessible to all – and indispensable. James Brown, chief executive officer of the Space Industry Association of Australia, likens it to air travel in the early days. Filling out the rich-list triumvirate is Elon Musk, who will soon reportedly fly on Branson’s craft, rather than with his own SpaceX ship. Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson went first ( or did he?), pipping Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos by a week and a bit. And a succession of billionaires are launching themselves into space in a new competition that raises the same questions: is this just a flagrant waste of money, or a vanguard move? “Only time ( and public opinion) will tell.”Ĭue the new space race! Nations are lining up to send spacecraft to the Moon, and planning crewed missions – even on to Mars. “So did we have the last laugh, or will we see people step onto the Moon again within our lifetime?” they wrote. The article finished by questioning whether humans would ever again walk on the lunar surface. In 2019, on the 50 th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s Moon landing, New Scientist addressed its own historic opposition, and its claims that the Apollo missions were exercises in “ prestigious prancing”. border and both become part of NASA.Back in the 1960s, a good proportion of Americans didn’t think it was a good idea to go to the Moon: 47% of them thought it wasn’t worth the government’s money, which would be better spent on their home planet. The 10-episode drama series is as ambitious as it is global, with a diverse cast and also a strong immigration storyline featuring a Mexican girl and her father. This show has a very optimistic outlook,” he said. “There are no aliens coming down, we aren’t going to have a time vortex and all that kind of stuff. Moore is known for his work on sci-fi series like “Battlestar Galactica” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” but said “For All Mankind” could not be more different. The fossil fuel industry starts to collapse so climate change is less of a pressing issue,” Moore said.Īpple is launching Apple TV+ in more than 100 markets for an initial $5 a month with eight original shows, including “The Morning Show,” a behind-the-scenes television drama, and sci-fi series “See.” Its initial catalog is dwarfed by Netflix Inc, Amazon Studios and Walt Disney Co’s Disney+ streaming service, which launches on Nov. “Research into solar technology and battery technology starts to move clean energy forwards decades before it was a real thing in the United States. “For All Mankind,” which launches on the Apple TV+ streaming service on Friday, envisages a world where women, including black women, become astronauts and engines of social change decades before they did in real life, the Soviet Union never invades Afghanistan, and billions more dollars are poured into technology. and the world on a more positive and optimistic path,” he added. “Society shifts, and along the way politics and history shift to take the U.S. “The competition with the Soviet Union moves out into space, the United States gets out of Vietnam early to commit more resources to the space program,” said executive producer Ronald D. It sets the stage for an alternate history with sweeping ripple effects on everything from women’s rights and the environment to the Vietnam War. That’s the premise of “For All Mankind,” one of the first original television series from Apple Inc. LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Imagine a world where Neil Armstrong was not the first man on the moon and the Soviet Union won the space race instead.
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